Lawmakers on Capitol Hill face a lengthy to-do list before they head home for the holidays. Near the top is an issue deemed a priority after last year's election — immigration reform. So far, only the Senate has passed a bill.

Despite the standstill, supporters of immigration reform are pushing to keep the issue alive on a crowded legislative slate.

For a group of protesters on the National Mall, the strategy has become dramatic and drastic. After 12 days of no food, just water, dark rings circle the eyes of activist Rudy Lopez.

"The hunger has gone from sharp pain to now more of a constant companion that I've gotten used to," says Lopez, a community organizer from East Chicago, Ind., with the Fair Immigration Reform Movement.

He's part of a rotating cast of activists, including union and faith leaders and now Rep. Joe Kennedy III of Massachusetts, fasting to put pressure on the House of Representatives to take up immigration reform.

A 'Very Important Issue'

Lopez says he plans to fast until his body "can't continue," stressing that none of the demonstrators has a "martyrdom syndrome" in mind.

Instead, the group is trying to raise awareness of the estimated 11 million unauthorized immigrants currently in the U.S. who, the protesters insist, should have a path to citizenship. It's a message that President Obama, two House Republicans from California and other politicians have heard firsthand during recent visits with the group.

Eddie Carmona, a citizenship campaign manager for PICO, a network of faith-based community organizers, started fasting Saturday. He says they've gained lawmakers' attention, but they're still waiting for legislative action.

"We need to see [lawmakers] move legislation forward, and we need to see [House Speaker John Boehner] move legislation to the floor for a vote," Carmona says.

At a recent press conference, Boehner called immigration reform a "very important issue" that has been the focus of behind-the-scenes discussions on Capitol Hill.

"Is immigration reform dead? Absolutely not," Boehner told reporters. "I've made clear going back to the day after the last election in 2012 that it was time for Congress to deal with this issue."

Patience, though, among some activists is running thin.

A speech on immigration by Obama was interrupted last week in San Francisco by Ju Hong, an unauthorized immigrant from South Korea.

"You have a power to stop deportation for all undocumented immigrants in this country," Hong told the president.

"Actually, I don't. And that's why we're here," responded Obama, who stressed the need for a legislative solution.

Different Timelines

Brent Wilkes, national executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens, strongly supports the push for immigration reform. But he's operating on a different timeline.

"The real clock is this session of Congress doesn't end until next December," says Wilkes, who expects that the House will vote on immigration bills by April or May.

"This has been a long, long process for us, well over 20 years, and we're not so impatient that we can't wait four more months," he adds.

Other supporters of immigration reform say the wait has lasted long enough.

"We want action now, and we will continue to demand action now," says Cristina Jiménez, managing director of United We Dream, a network of organizations advocating for young immigrants.

"For us, it's not about the timeline that the legislators say," Jiménez explains. "If we were to be guided by the legislators' timeline, we will never have certainty on the fight that we need to lead for our communities."

Jiménez's group recently helped organize a protest outside Boehner's home in Washington, D.C. — part of a wave of demonstrations around the country that have focused on winning support in Congress.

Despite the pressure, Boehner has told reporters that he remains committed to taking a "deliberative" approach.

"The only way to make sure immigration reform works this time is to address these complicated issues one step at a time," Boehner said at a news conference.

Those steps are taking too long for activists like Jiménez, who says her group plans to push the president to take executive action in 2014.

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Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Good morning, I'm Renee Montagne.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And I'm David Greene.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have a pretty lengthy to-do list before they head home for the holidays. Near the top, an issue deemed a priority after last year's election: immigration reform. So far only the Senate has passed legislation.

We'll get some analysis about the immigration debate in a moment from NPR's national political correspondent Mara Liasson. We begin our coverage with NPR's Hansi Lo Wang. He's been following the push by supporters of immigration reform to keep the issue alive in a crowded legislative schedule.

HANSI LO WANG, BYLINE: The strategy has become dramatic and drastic.

RUDY LOPEZ: The hunger has gone from sharp pain to now more of a constant companion that I've gotten used to.

WANG: After 12 days of no food, just water, dark rings circle the eyes of activist Rudy Lopez. He's part of a rotating group of union and faith leaders and other activists on the National Mall, fasting to put pressure on the House of Representatives to take up immigration reform.

How long are you planning to be here?

LOPEZ: Until my body can't continue. Nobody has a martyrdom syndrome on their mind here. This is about preserving our health.

WANG: And meeting the goal of raising awareness of the 11 million unauthorized immigrants currently in the U.S. They should have a path to citizenship, the protesters insist. It's a message that President Barack Obama, two House Republicans from California, and other politicians have heard firsthand.

Is the goal achieved?

EDDIE CARMONA: Well, to some degree, yeah. But now we need to see action.

WANG: Activist Eddie Carmona started fasting on Saturday.

CARMONA: We need to see them move, you know, legislation forward. And we need to see speaker Boehner move legislation to the floor for a vote.

WANG: At a recent press conference, House Speaker John Boehner called immigration reform a very important issue that has been the focus of behind-the-scenes discussions on the Hill.

BOEHNER: I've made clear, going back to the day after the last election in 2012, that it was time for Congress to deal with this issue.

WANG: Patience among some activists is running thin.

(SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: And most importantly, we will live...

JU HONG: (Unintelligible)

OBAMA: Most importantly we will live up.

HONG: ...my family has been separated...

OBAMA: Most importantly, we will live up...

WANG: A speech by President Obama was interrupted last week in San Francisco by Ju Hong, an unauthorized immigrant from South Korea.

(SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH)

HONG: You have a power to stop deportation for all undocumented immigrants...

OBAMA: Actually I don't. And that's why we're here.

HONG: I need your help.

OBAMA: OK.

HONG: (Unintelligible)

WANG: Obama eventually regained control of the crowd and stressed the need for a legislative solution.

BRENT WILKES: We don't want to say, OK, too late. You know, it's over. You know, they didn't do it, so now let's beat them up and not keep trying to engage.

WANG: That's Brent Wilkes, national executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens. He strongly supports the push for immigration reform but he's operating on a different timeline.

WILKES: The real clock is this session of Congress doesn't end until next December.

WANG: And he expects the House will vote on immigration bills by April or May.

WILKES: This has been a long, long process for us - well over 20 years, and we're not so impatient that we can't wait four more months.

CRISTINA JIMÉNEZ: We want action now and we will continue to demand action now.

WANG: Cristina Jimenez is the managing director of the United We Dream Network, which advocates for young immigrants.

JIMÉNEZ: For us it's not about the timeline that the legislators say, right? If we were to be guided by the legislators' timeline, we will never have certainty on the fight that we need to lead for our communities.

WANG: Jimenez says in 2013 most demonstrations have focused on winning support in Congress.

WANG: Like this recent candlelight vigil organized by United We Dream outside House speaker Boehner's home in Washington, D.C. Despite the pressure, Boehner has told reporters that he remains committed to taking a deliberative approach - reviewing immigration laws piece by piece.

BOEHNER: And the only way to make sure immigration reform works this time is to address these complicated issues one step at a time.

WANG: Steps that are taking too long for activists like Cristina Jimenez, who says in 2014 her group plans to push the president to take executive action.